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[24/07/2015] Researchers led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have developed new diagnostic criteria to enable clinicians to distinguish malignant cancerous chest cavity masses from those caused by fungal histoplasmosis infection.Earlier diagnosis of chest tumors - Read more

[24/07/2015] Examining post-mortem tissue from the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease, Stanford University School of Medicine investigators identified what appear to be iron-containing microglia -- specialized scavenger cells that sometimes become inflammatory -- in a particular part of the hippocampus, a key brain structure whose integrity is critical to memory formation.Iron-containing inflammatory cells in Alzheimer's brains - Read more

[23/07/2015] If you experience a major heart attack the damage could cost you around five billion heart cells. Experts at The University of Nottingham have discovered the first fully synthetic substrate with potential to grow billions of stem cells. The research could forge the way for the creation of 'stem cell factories' - the mass production of human embryonic (pluripotent) stem cells.New material forges the way for 'stem cell factories' - Read more

[08/06/2015] Replicating the human organism in a mini format – researchers at the Fraunhofer IWS braved this challenge. They developed a compact system where different physical processes can be imitated on a chip. It is also possible to copy cardiac and pulmonary functions.Mini synthetic organism: When the heart beats on a chip - Read more

[22/05/2015] Braided stents are nothing new in medicine, but their manufacturing process is still time-consuming. This is why Professor Stefan Jockenhövel from the RWTH Aachen University and his team want to make machine production possible. Stents: Braiding versus cutting - Read more

[04/05/2015] Since the end of April 2015, the long-awaited evaluation report on the skin cancer screening programs offered by German health insurance providers is now finally available. We spoke with Dr. Ralph von Kiedrowski, Board Member of the German Dermatologist Association (German: Berufsverband Deutscher Dermatologen) on what the screening can accomplish and his take on the G-BA report.Statutory Skin Cancer Screening: "This is not just about mortality rates" - Read more

[23/04/2015] People waiting for organ transplants may soon have higher hopes of getting the help that they need in time. Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology have developed a new technique that extends the time that donor organs last and can also resuscitate organs obtained after cardiac arrest.A recipe for long-lasting livers - Read more

[13/04/2015] Genetically engineered fibers of the protein spidroin, which is the construction material for spider webs, has proven to be a perfect substrate for cultivating heart tissue cells, MIPT researchers found. They discuss their findings in an article that has recently come out in the journal PLOS ONE. MIPT researchers grow cardiac tissue on 'spider silk' substrate - Read more

[09/03/2015] All swimmers know the unpleasant feeling when you breathe in at the wrong time and then have water enter into your windpipe. At best, it immediately triggers the cough reflex, which is intended to keep the water away from the airways and prevent suffocation. However, liquid in the lungs can also save people - especially if it allows them to breathe again.Lungs: "Liquid ventilation is still not sufficiently researched" - Read more

[06/02/2015] In 2008, the World Health Organization announced a global effort to eradicate malaria, which kills about 800,000 people every year. As part of that goal, scientists are trying to develop new drugs that target the malaria parasite during the stage when it infects the human liver, which is crucial because some strains of malaria can lie dormant in the liver for several years before flaring up.New source of cells for modeling malaria - Read more

[22/01/2015] A new preservation system that pumps cooled, oxygen-rich fluid into donor livers not only keeps the organs in excellent condition for as long as nine hours before transplantation, but also leads to dramatically better liver function and increases survival of recipients, according to a series of animal studies. The system could be tested with transplant patients later this year. New preservation system for organ transplantation - Read more

[15/01/2015] A group of leading cardiac specialists has proposed new guidelines for the allocation of donor hearts to patients awaiting transplant. The changes are aimed at improving the organ distribution process to increase the survival rate of patients awaiting transplant and posttransplant.Cardiac specialists recommend donor heart allocation changes - Read more

[18/11/2014] Organs can become significantly damaged during transplantation, but a new article published in the BJS (British Journal of Surgery) offers a protective strategy that could keep them safe and allow them to function optimally after the procedure.Drugs that protect organs during transplantation - Read more

[20/06/2014] University of Washington engineers have designed a low-power sensor that could be placed permanently in a person’s eye to track hard-to-measure changes in eye pressure. The sensor would be embedded with an artificial lens during cataract surgery and would detect pressure changes instantaneously, then transmit the data wirelessly using radio frequency waves.Monitor for glaucoma: Sensor in eye could track pressure changes - Read more

[18/06/2014] Fecal microbiota transplantation --- the process of delivering stool bacteria from a healthy donor to a patient suffering from intestinal infection with the bacterium Clostridium difficile --- works by restoring healthy bacteria and functioning to the recipient's gut, according to a study published this week.Fecal transplants restore healthy bacteria and gut functions - Read more

[23/05/2014] Slight modifications in their genome sequences play a crucial role in the conversion of pluripotent stem cells into various differentiated cell types. A team at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich has now identified the factor responsible for one class of modification.Genetic switching element in stem-cell research - Read more

[22/05/2014] A new method of generating mature nerve cells from skin cells could greatly enhance understanding of neurodegenerative diseases, and could accelerate the development of new drugs and stem cell-based regenerative medicine. Functional nerve cells from skin cells - Read more

[08/05/2014] The latest organ-on-a-chip from Harvard's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering reproduces the structure, functions and cellular make-up of bone marrow, a complex tissue that until now could only be studied intact in living animals.Laboratory: Bone marrow-on-a-chip Unveiled - Read more

[10/04/2014] As people approach old age, they generally become less outgoing. New research from the University of Gothenburg shows that this change in personality is amplified among people with impaired hearing. The findings emphasise the importance of acknowledging and treating hearing loss in the elderly population.Supplements: Chromium Helpful in Lowering Blood Sugar Levels? - Read more

[09/04/2014] As people approach old age, they generally become less outgoing. New research from the University of Gothenburg shows that this change in personality is amplified among people with impaired hearing. The findings emphasise the importance of acknowledging and treating hearing loss in the elderly population.Elderly : Hearing Loss Affects Old People's Personality - Read more

[01/04/2014] The reason why some animals can regenerate tissues after severe organ loss or amputation while others, such as humans, cannot renew some structures has always intrigued scientists. A research group from Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC, Portugal) led by Joaquín Rodríguez León provided new clues to solve this central question.Cells: A Step Forward in Adult Vertebrate Tissue Regeneration - Read more

[27/03/2014] Scientists at the RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies have used PET imaging to visualize the distribution in the body of copper, which is deregulated in Menkes disease, a genetic disorder, using a mouse model. This study lays the groundwork for PET imaging studies on human Menkes disease patients to identify new therapy options.Menkes Disease: Using PET Scanning to Evaluate Therapies - Read more

[19/03/2014] Scientists at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Biology of Ageing in Cologne have found that a naturally occurring molecule has the ability to enhance defense mechanisms against neurodegenerative diseases. Feeding this particular metabolite to the small roundworm C. elegans helps clear toxic protein aggregates in the body and extends life span. Alzheimer’s: How a Small Worm May Help the Fight - Read more

[12/03/2014] Up to 1 800 liters – this much blood flows through both human kidneys each day. As long as the organs are healthy, they filter metabolic end-products and toxic substances from the blood and control the body’s water balance. They also regulate the blood pressure this way.World Kidney Day - 03/13/2014 - Read more

[07/03/2014] For many people with advanced cardiac insufficiency, a heart transplant may be their only hope. But waiting for a donor heart to come along is a race against time. Patients who remain active and stay in good shape psychologically can significantly increase their chances of surviving this period.Waiting for a Donor Heart: Motion Prolongs Survival - Read more

[03/02/2014] Shortening a time-consuming procedure from four hours to five minutes and automate it at the same time sounds like a dream come true for employees in all fields and industry sectors. This dream could soon become a reality for radiologists. Software could take away the tedious processing of CT images, which is required before cancer radiation therapy.KOHALA: Digital Student for Cancer Treatment - Read more

[21/01/2014] Researchers at the University of Cordoba (Spain) have developed a system that measures compatibility between donors and the most serious receivers in liver transplants. This mathematical method includes the experience of almost 1,500 donations registered in transplant units in Spain and the United Kingdom.Transplantation: Better Allocation of Donated Livers - Read more

[02/12/2013] Medical training becomes digital. eLearning, electronically supported learning methods, is well-established in medicine. It aids learning from plastic models, real patients or corpses. Today, students are also able to learn from virtual patients in the internet and to take exams about them. Virtual bodies, on the other hand, open space and time as new dimensions for anatomical demonstration.Simulated Medicine: From Virtual Patient to Virtual Body - Read more

[01/12/2013] Instead of just sitting in front of a microscope, Bavarian medical students now also sit at the computer and categorize different tissue types. This is made possible by a project between the Universities and the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS. MEDICA.de spoke with Associate Professor Thomas Wittenberg about the benefits of virtual training.Virtual training: "Students gladly accept the flexible learning option" - Read more

[23/10/2013] For people with a family history of adenomas (colon polyps that lead to colon cancer), up to 10 percent of colorectal cancers could be missed when current national screening guidelines are followed. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States and the second deadliest.Colon Cancer: Screening Guidelines May Miss 10 Percent - Read more

[02/08/2013] When it comes to lung transplants, bigger may be better. That is the main finding from a University of Iowa study, which found that oversized lungs lead to improved survival following lung transplants, particularly among patients receiving double-lung transplants.Transplants: Bigger Lungs May Be Better - Read more

[01/08/2013] The greatest challenge to transplantation medicine is organ shortage. This is the result of a low willingness to donate organs in the public. Many people who are waiting for an organ have a strongly limited quality of life for years. They even die because no suitable organ can be found. Cultivating organs in the laboratory may solve this problem one day.Organ Shortage: Replacements Produced in the Laboratory - Read more

[01/08/2013] Implants can be used to heal and replace many parts of the human body, but these technologies are limited: organs are too complex to copy. Patients often need a donor organ to survive. But nowadays there are more and more potential recipients for organs and less and less willing donors. Medical technology thus has the task to make as many organs as possible viable for donation.Transplantations: Making as Many Organs Viable as Possible - Read more

[19/06/2013] A social media push boosted the number of people who registered themselves as organ donors 21-fold in a single day, Johns Hopkins researchers found, suggesting social media might be an effective tool to address the stubborn organ shortage in the United States.Facebook: Boost In Organ Donor Registration - Read more

[14/03/2013] World Kidney Day is celebrated the second thursday in march since 2006. It is intended to raise awareness for the importance of our kidneys to overall health. “Kidneys for Life – Stop Kidney Attack!” – this is the slogan 2013.World Kidney Day - 03/14/2013 - Read more

[13/03/2013] These days, robot-assisted surgery is part of the daily routine in many operating rooms. High precision and gentle surgery speak in favor of robotic surgery. However, high costs not just for the equipment, but also for its maintenance argue against it. Nevertheless, this development sector has a promising future.Surgical Robots: Development Sector with a Future - Read more

[10/10/2012] A new approach to lung scanning could improve the diagnosis and treatment of a lung disease that affects approximately 24 million Americans and is the country's third-highest cause of death.Diagnosis: New Way of Imaging Lungs - Read more

[28/09/2012] Cardiac stress, for example a heart attack or high blood pressure, frequently leads to pathological heart growth and subsequently to heart failure. Two tiny RNA molecules play a key role in this detrimental development in mice, as researchers have now discovered.RNA Molecules: Scientists Prevent Heart Failure in Mice - Read more

[20/09/2012] The largest United States multicenter study of living kidney transplant donor chains showed that 46 percent of recipients are minorities, a finding that allays previous fears that these groups would be disadvantaged by expansion of the donor pool through this type of exchange process.Transplantation: Half of Kidney Recipients Are Minorities - Read more

[16/07/2012] Now, working in mice, surgeons and scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, have captured the first images of a beating heart at a resolution so detailed they can track individual immune cells swarming into the heart muscle, causing inflammation.Beating Heart: Trafficking of Immune Cells - Read more

[13/06/2012] One of the biggest risk factors for liver, colon or stomach cancer is chronic inflammation of those organs, often caused by viral or bacterial infections. A new study from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) offers the most comprehensive look yet at how such infections provoke tissues into becoming cancerous.Inflammation: How Infection Can Lead to Cancer - Read more

[11/05/2012] Klaus Armin and his research group from the Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine in Göttingen, Germany, have now discovered possible mechanisms by which these glial cells in the brain can support their associated axons and keep them alive in the long term.Nerve Fibres: Glial Cells Pass on Metabolites to Neurons - Read more

[08/05/2012] Drugs that treat brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease or multiple sclerosis are most effective directly where they are needed – in the brain. Unfortunately, it is difficult to develop drugs that are capable of getting there specifically, since the so-called blood-brain barrier prevents this from happening. However, now a team led by Doctor Heiko Manninga succeeded in doing precisely that. Drugs Ferry: ”We are not limited to one active ingredient group or one active ingredient“ - Read more

Patients suffering from dementia often cannot articulate themselves clearly. If they constantly shout out incomprehensible words or even react aggressively towards their surrounding, it can be a difficult situation for the people caring for them. Scientists are therefore researching support possibilities to unburden the interaction for both parties.Dementia - Understanding the Patient Brings Better Care - Read more

[30/03/2012] Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine were able to demonstrate that defective Notch signalling enables strong and deregulated vessel growth even when VEGF or VEGFR2 are inhibited. In this case, a different VEGF family receptor, VEGFR3, is strongly up regulated, promoting angiogenesis.Biomedicine: Culprit Behind Unchecked Angiogenesis Identified - Read more

Often, years pass from the first idea to the finished medical product, as medical devices are only allowed to be released onto the market and can be implanted into humans after sufficient research and a sometimes tedious search for the right cooperation with different disciplines, as well strict control on the part of the legislator.
Product Development - The Long Road to the Medical Device - Read more

[31/01/2012] Age-related delays in neural timing are not inevitable and can be avoided or offset with musical training, according to a new study from Northwestern University. The study is the first to provide biological evidence that lifelong musical experience has an impact on the aging process. Music: Training Has Biological Impact on Aging Process - Read more

[02/01/2012] There is no drug to treat anorexia nervosa. This complex mental illness that goes along with severe physical impairments requires intense therapy that has one final goal in mind: the affected person is supposed to relearn healthy eating patterns to avoid becoming dangerously underweight. Anorexia Therapy: Allowing yourself to enjoy food again - Read more

[05/12/2011] In complex cases of kidney failure, medical care in Germany evidently operates better than in the United States. Scientists at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin were able to show that German patients who have an increased risk of rejection reactions due to prior immunisation have better survival rates than people with diseases of similar severity in the US.Kidney Patients: Survival Rates in Germany are Better than in the U.S. - Read more

[02/08/2011] How do cells know where to position themselves and where to accumulate in order to carry out their functions correctly within each organ? Researchers have revealed the molecular mechanisms responsible for organizing the intestinal epithelium into distinct comportments, defined by frontiers or territories. Mechanism: Cell Position in the Intestinal Epithelium - Read more

[03/06/2011] Most of us never considered eating the mud pies we made as kids, but for many people all over the world, dining on dirt is nothing out of the ordinary. Now an extensive meta-analysis forthcoming in the June helps explain why. Research: Eating Dirt Can Be Good for the Belly - Read more

[03/05/2011] An antioxidant may prevent damage to the liver caused by excessive alcohol, according to new research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The findings may point the way to treatments to reverse steatosis, or fatty deposits in the liver that can lead to cirrhosis and cancer.Antioxidant: Prevention of Alcohol-induced Liver Disease? - Read more

[08/03/2011] Today on International Women's Day, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) is calling for action to reduce the gender disparities that are currently resulting in women receiving second rate cardiovascular (CV) care. Studies published show a persistent under-utilisation of guideline recommended treatments for heart disease in women compared to men.
International Women's Day: Providing a 'Red Alert' for Women's Hearts - Read more

[01/02/2011] Potentially impacting future diagnosis and treatment of lupus, an immune illness affecting more than 5 million people worldwide, researchers lhaveuncovered where the breakdown in the body's lymphocyte molecular regulatory machinery is occurring.Uncovered: Understanding Cause of Lupus - Read more

[22/01/2011] It’s well-known that reality and fiction sometimes are much farther apart than you would think. Popular US crime drama series have long since shown us that and sketch a smart image of the job of forensic pathologists: they perform autopsies, identify and solve homicide cases like clockwork. Everyday life in a forensic medical Institute though is reflected to a lesser extent in this case.Forensic Medicine: "We are not just dealing with dead bodies“ - Read more

[20/08/2010] Casual smokers may think that smoking a few cigarettes a week is "no big deal." But according to new research from physician-scientists at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, having an infrequent smoke, or being exposed to secondhand smoke, may be doing more harm than people may think. Cigarette: Smoke Causes Changes In the Lungs - Read more

[26/11/2009] In women with lower urinary tract symptoms, a medical imaging technique called dynamic MRI allows clinicians to diagnose pelvic organ prolapse — a condition that often goes undiagnosed on static MRI and at physical examination, according to a new study.Pelvic Organ Collapse: Dynamic MRI Better Than Static - Read more

Cardiohelp

Rescue lives with the smallest heart-lungs-machine of the world: The portable device is called Cardiohelp, has the size of a handbag and weighs less than ten kilograms. Therefore, it can be used immediately on location or in the ambulance. The device replaces the functions of the heart and the lung: Blood is taken from the patient’s veins and returns into the body after having been enriched with oxygen.

New telemetry monitor

It has the size of a paperback book and is supposed to improve the patient’s quality of life: the new telemetry monitor. Pulse and heart frequency, breathing or body temperature can be checked on a regular basis without tying the patient to the bed with the new „Infinity M300“. Advantageous since it is well known that higher mobility often results in a faster patient recovery.

Quick drug test with saliva sample

Did an emergency patient take drugs or not? With the „DrugTest 5000“, this question can be answered in ten minutes. The system recognises six different substance classes in a saliva sample: cannabis, cocaine and opiates amongst others. Examining blood in the laboratory may be a thing of the past. The uncomplicated and hygienic handling may make the quick test also attractive for traffic controls.

Surgical hose for sportsmen

The „VenoTrain sport“ is a new surgical hose designed especially for sportsmen. An exactly defined pressure onto the vein prevents that fluids accumulate in the tissue and cause "heavy" legs. This procedure reduces swellings of the legs after a long distance run.

Combinable Ultrasound System

An all-rounder among the ultrasound systems is the LOGIQ E 9. The device is able to combine several imaging techniques during one medical examination and improves diagnosis. This is important since it is often not sufficient to determine a tumour’s location with just one imaging system. The LOGIQ E 9 loads CT or MRI data into the ultrasound device. The physician can subsequently compare images made with the help of these different techniques.

Secure data: safe plus minimum-sized computational centre

Safety in medicine is valuable, but it also entails considerable demands. For the first time, the Lampertz and Gesundheitsinformatik companies display their combined minimum-sized computational centre, offering the same protective value as a large computer centre. It is, in fact, a data safe taking up only one square metre of ground space. Inbuilt devices (servers, storage and networking units) satisfy the standards imposed by Germany’s Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG) and those laid down by the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). They make for secure implementations of tele-medicine applications as well as for secure transmission of image, graphics and text file data. Thanks to the unique modular design of this “Modulsafe LMS 9.3”, the device may be sited flexibly in surgeries and hospitals.

Walk-in organs – On-site explanations of medical interventions

For patients it very often sounds like “Double Dutch” if their doctors try to explain a disease or medical interventions to them. Not very many people know the structure of their hearts or what their kidneys look like. Extra-large models of bodily organs offer help. Patients can walk them with their medical doctors, who may explain necessary medical interventions to them in detail. These models may, of course, also be used for demonstration purposes in universities or for congresses. They are available for both leasing and purchasing. A human-sized model heart may be inspected during the MEDICA congress (CCD South, ground floor). A model breast is on display on the first floor, close to the footpath leading to the pavilion.

Swift availability, enhanced imaging technology and versatile applicability – all of these are key features of new developments which will be on display at this year’s MEDICA trade fair in Düsseldorf. Product Highlights - Read more

[09/10/2008] A 30 percent increase in chronic kidney disease over the past decade has prompted a report documenting the disease. It affects an estimated 27 million Americans and accounts for more than 24 percent of Medicare costs.
Report: Chronic Kidney Disease in the US - Read more

[16/04/2008] Many scientists view atherosclerosis as a localized disease characterized by the build up of fatty plaques in the arteries. Now researchers report that plaques formed in arteries are associated with certain harmful chemical reactions that can damage other organs.
Biochemistry: Atherosclerosis May Damage Other Organs - Read more

[20/02/2008] As more and more Americans undergo CT scans and other medical imaging scans involving intense X-rays, a new study suggests that many of them should take a pre-scan drug that could protect their kidneys from damage.
CT: Drug Can Prevent Kidney Damage - Read more